1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus method that form and pave a ditch.
2. Background of the Prior Art
Ditches are used along many roadways to control soil erosion as well as storm water runoff. These ditches are generally concave and tend to be several feet wide. The traditional way to lay ditches is to form the ditch using wood or other similar material, pour the concrete, and have concrete workers screed and thereafter finish the surface of the ditch. This tried and true ditch laying method, although effective, is extremely labor intensive and can result in rapid worker burnout, especially when working on hot days.
In order to overcome the labor intensive nature of ditch laying, several devices have been proposed that lay the ditch relatively automatically. Typically, the concrete is placed into a holding portion of the device, and the concrete is poured and the device performs the screeding and finishing operations. Such prior art devices, which reduce the manual labor aspect of ditch laying, and which perform their intended tasks with varying degrees of efficiency, tend to be very complex in design and construction making them expensive to manufacture as well as to maintain. Additionally, such devices require its crews to have extensive training, which results in high operating costs.
Therefore, there exists a need in the art for a device that can lay a ditch, yet that is not unduly complex in design or operation and is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and maintain. Such a device must be operable by a crew that does not require extensive training in device operation.
The ditch forming apparatus of the present invention address the aforementioned needs in the art. The apparatus provides a machine that pours concrete, screeds the concrete and leaves the concrete with a finished surface. The ditch forming apparatus is of relatively simple design and construction and is relatively inexpensive to build and maintain. Crews operating the ditch forming apparatus require only modest training in device operation.
The ditch forming apparatus of the present invention is comprised of a hopper that has a front end and a rear end joined by a pair of side members, an outer surface, an inner surface, an open top, and an open bottom. A first frame member is attached to the front end of the hopper, the first frame member having a first pair of wheels attached thereto. A second frame member is attached to the rear end of the hopper, the second frame member having a second pair of wheels attached thereto. An extension extends downwardly from the open bottom proximate the front end, the extension having a pair of sloped side edges joined by a flat bottom edge. A skid is attached to the rear end, the skid having a pair of sloped side surfaces joined by a flat bottom surface. A tongue is attached to the first frame member, the tongue is adapted to be attached to a locomotion device. A first pair of stanchions are slidably attached to the first frame member in spaced apart fashion and are capable of being secured in a fixed position relative to the first frame member, while a second pair of stanchions are slidably attached to the second frame member in spaced apart fashion and are capable of being secured in a fixed position relative to the second frame member. The hopper has an upper section and a lower section wherein the upper section is wider than the lower section so that the open top is larger than the open bottom. At least one brace extends between the front end and the rear end and a chain is attached to the brace. A baffle may be placed into the hopper for reducing the throughput of the concrete within the hopper.